Possession
by Reverse Gravity
Summary: Konoha discovers that Neji and Tenten are together. [oneshot]


**Possession**

_Summary: Konoha discovers that Neji and Tenten are, in fact together (they already had suspicions) and that's that. _

_Disclaimer: not mine!_

_Warning: may or may not contain spoilers_

**Pretence:**

Ever since Tenten and Neji were Genins; they would train everyday. Each wanted desperately to be stronger. Even now that they were Chunin, there was little difference. They didn't see each other as much, and were often separated on missions. She was often assigned to assassinations; Neji was usually put on work that required force more than stealth. But it helped to develop their own separate styles. Unique fighting styles that opposed and complimented each other at the same time. Between missions they still sought out to spar with one another, testing each other to the very limits of their strength. Over time, a relationship developed.

**Story: (tenten pov)**

I never had to wait for Neji to show up. If we agreed on a spar, he would always show up at whatever time we had agreed to. Now was not an exception.

"So what are we going to do today?" I asked politely.

"Kunai practice." He said simply. Neji never did say a lot. Unless forced, and even then his answers were direct. He preferred to read actions over words. Maybe that was part of the obsession with fate he had finally begun to outgrow. Even over time I could interpret his body language enough to give me the meaning of his void words.

Kiba once told me that if you spent enough time with a Hyuga; you begin to read eyes. Maybe that was what I had figured out, because now I could tell he just wanted to see if I could beat him without his gentle fist technique.

…If I could beat him on the same ground. I pulled two kunai from my pouch as he mirrored that action; withdrawing his own pair of weapons. This was hand to hand combat; but we didn't have the intension of hurting each other, but accidents do happen. It was practice, not a fight.

He came at me with offense and I fought to hold my defense; were the hell had Neji gotten so good?! Weapons were my specialty, but the prodigy was just as good with out without. He knew; and he smirked.

I raised my kunai to deflect his attempts to hit my midsection and ducked as a swing that neared my head. It felt like a great weight was lifted and I didn't realize at all. Not until a piece of hair drifted into my face.

"Did you have to do that?" I shouted. I was quickly drawing up energy from anger as a swiped harshly at him. A long tear was created on the Hyuga Neji's sleeve, courtesy of my anger and a sharp object.

"Sorry." he actually did sound sorry. I shrugged it off as I retreated to adjust my headband. There! Now my hair would stay out of my eyes. I could feel the long strands whipping against my back as a pressed back into the fight.

Again the dance began, strike and block. A steady rhythm. I managed to scratch Neji's cheek and bruise his arm.

He managed to swipe at me several times but I never did look down to survey the damage.

Finally I crouched low and sprang up. I twisted myself around his back to place a kunai directly against his throat.

"Give up?" I whispered against the skin of his neck, my lips barely grazing the surface.

"Tenten?" He growled. It often ended like this somewhere. And although we never did tell Konoha about our relationship, or even flaunt or acknowledge our relationship… …we did have one. It was exclusive and secret, and displayed casually. He trusted me to take care of his blind spot. He trusted me to watch his back and not to betray him. And that was a very special thing for the Hyuga viewed as stoic by everybody else.

In turn I trusted him; he helped me out so I wouldn't be used or abused. Not having a family to take care of you is hard, and keeping that fact a secret is even harder. So Neji had found out that I went home to an empty house. That's part of why we stayed up so late; neither wanted to go home. I would be reminded of the emptiness and he would be reminded that he was only a tool in the eyes of his clan. I wanted a clan and he despised his. We made up for each others differences.

Neji and I also had a physical relationship. It wasn't flaunted but we were close and I'll leave it at that. It was innocent, but very strong.

"Surrender?" I asked once more, my reverie shattered.

I could feel him smirking even if I couldn't see his face. Damn him! "Tenten, look down." Neji chuckled.

Yes, contrary to popular belief, it is actually possible to amuse the Hyuga prodigy.

I looked down, my kunai still at his throat. Against my chest was a kunai he had twisted behind his back to position at my heart. My feet were off the ground because of his height. All he had to do to kill me was to lean back. All I had to do to die was kill him.

"Draw?" I asked, more than a little exasperated. We were just two well matched. On the days we didn't come to a stalemate we equaled each other in our wins and defeats.

"Back to Konoha then?" I asked as I moved from my hold and stepped back. I slid my kunai into the pouch at my waist.

That's when I noticed my state and searched for my bag. Spare clothes! Spare clothes; I needed them and I needed them now.

"Hn." was heard. I rounded on Neji when I couldn't find any spare clothes in my bag.

I surveyed the damage I had done to him. There was a slash on his shirt and his sleeve was torn. His hair was also loose, hanging in thick brown strands over his shoulders.

I looked down to observe my own damage once more before realizing I had to go into Konoha like this anyways. In my stupidity I had worn my last non-destroyed outfit to training today, and hadn't picked up anything else to wear after the mission yesterday.

My shirt was missing almost its entire midsection, the pink rayon torn beyond repair. I removed my forehead protector to salvage what was left of the waistband on my black pants. At least now they wouldn't fall down. Or whatever was left of them. They were surprisingly short and displayed my legs with very little to the imagination. I believed that Ino had worn something like this once. …and never again; since the boy whom she'd wanted to impress, her lazy teammate, had told her she wasn't allowed out like that in public and dragged her back to one of their houses. Yes it was that short, no I'm not sure how exactly it happened.

"Neji!" I glared at him. He almost flinched, hey, hang out with the master of glares long enough and you'll find your inner evil eye to. It's inevitable. "Were you _trying _to undress me?"

If he was trying, he had succeeded. Damn prodigy! He almost always gets what he wants.

He brushed a part of my untamable hair behind my shoulder and sat me down in his lap. "No Tenten." He said simply. I knew it was his way of saying sorry without actually saying it. I pivoted around, facing him. I was sitting with my legs bent over his for balance. I leaned in and kissed him. My hands went to his neck as his trailed to my exposed waist, tangled in my long hair. His tongue swept my mouth in domination; I couldn't resist him in anything. My eyelids fluttered shut as the kiss stole my air.

"Tenten, Neji!" I heard distantly, and very loudly. But I was too occupied to even register this fact. "I knew you would be here and- Oh!"

Neji broke away to see what, or rather who, had disrupted us. That; and even the prodigy needed to breath. I panted as I viewed the seen to my horror.

"My rival. You have been tarnishing our beautiful flower. I will fight you so the gentle flower of youth can esca—"

I had to stop his shouting, and Neji was getting annoyed. I could feel the anger and heat rolling of his body, intensified by our proximity.

"Lee—Shut up!! He's my boyfriend." Neji didn't even blink. We both knew what we were, but we never had had to voice it before.

"H-he, y-you. wow." Was all that was heard as he took off towards Konoha. Both I and Neji gave each other a look that was filled with urgency. It would be humiliating to have Lee run throughout Konoha spreading our long-time relationship across the whole place. It would lead to questions and teasing.

That would not do. Neji helped me up and we started to run towards Konoha before our fate was sealed. Of course, we completely disregarded our appearance.

Lee raced through Konoha and made it to the gossip gang before I or Neji could catch him. That's it, when I got a hold of him; I was going break his legs. …Twice. I could see Ino and Sakura chatting animatedly from where I and Neji hid on the roof of a house.

"I don't want anyone seeing me like this!" I whispered furiously. We had already lost to any rumors that might be spread. If we were seen like this, we could never deny any rumors later. No matter how true they were… …or weren't.

He looked at me, scanning my body from my shoes to my tattered clothes and unruly hair. His look was plain and understandable. _Do you think I want you to be seen like that either?! _

I gave him a look that I understood what he meant; because I did. He came closer to me, close enough to touch me. Then Neji removed his shirt to reveal his perfectly sculpted chest. I might have ogled a little more if I hadn't seen his bare chest before. All the hard work had created a scarred marble sculpture of male perfection. I caressed his chest and massaged his shoulders lightly; Neji slipped his shirt over my head and turned me around so that my back was pressed perfectly against his frame. Carefully he slipped his shirt over my head and let his fingers caress my waist. He undid my makeshift belt and tied it around my waist to keep his shirt closed.

His soft lips pressed against my neck as we jumped from the roof to face Ino and Sakura. Both of us just wanted to get this over with; we'd been together casually and in secret for years and Lee just had to walk up on us! Sure, we were training for the upcoming jonin exams but we didn't have the same urgency as we used too. Somewhere we had figured out that grace, good planning and perfection in technique was preferred over brute force.

"Hello" I said. Neji gave a signature "Hn." beside me; I knew that was his greeting.

"Hi Tenten, Neji." Sakura said, her voice was a little pale. Then she did a doubletake and noticed our condition. Me, Tenten, in the Neji Hyuga's shirt. She stared a moment to long at Neji's half-naked form and I growled at her; taking a step forward.

"Wow Tenten, you're sure possessive. I guess what Lee said must be true!" Ino rejoiced.

"What did Rock Lee say?" Neji asked, distrust and amusement in his voice. Distrust at what Lee may have said, and amusement at my actions. Well, when it came to Neji, I had been with him long enough, and knew his well enough that I should be allowed to be possessive.

Sakura looked downwards; studying the pavement. "Well, he said…"

Ino cut her off with a smirk. "He said that you to finally hooked up after training?"

"Finally? We've been together since after the Chunin exams!" I exclaimed; then turned pink as they began to digest that information. I so should have just walked away. Neji just looked pointedly away. I knew him well enough to ask, "What's wrong?" I whispered as he pulled me back against his chest, his arms entwined around my waist.

"Hinata?" I asked as she came upon us. Neji and his cousin had found a truce over the years, the bitterness subsided. "Hello." She stated, hanging around Naruto had helped her confidence, but she still didn't command the same sort or presence as some of the others.

She looked very simply from Neji and me to Ino and Sakura. "So," She started. "It finally came out."

The glare Ino and Sakura gave her was angry and I defended the Hyuga heiress. "Don't blame her! We made her swear not to tell. And you only know because Lee walked in on us kissing!"

I don't know what possessed me to say that; damn me! Neji was still amused behind me. But Naruto entered boldly then, the look on the blonds' face showed he clearly hadn't taken a good look at the situation he was entering. At the same time, when does Naruto ever think about the delicacy of situations?

"Neji! Kissing a girl!" He said; his expression was clearly one of disbelief. "Never!"

"Naruto, you're so dense!" Sakura scoffed. Naruto looked over to where Neji and I were intertwined. He too did a doubletake and I could feel Neji smirking as he buried his face in my neck.

"See?!" Ino demanded.

I leaned heavily against Neji and sighed, he knew I wanted to leave now and was happy to oblige me in my wish. His arm still around my waist, we walked off; leaving Naruto to argue with the two chattering girls. Oh, and Hinata.

"So what will tomorrow be?" I asked.

There was no trace of humor in his voice, even though Neji's eyes were crinkled and filled with laughter, but you really had to look. Neji was the perfect shinobi in that respect. His emotions were not easily interpreted. But those emotional were all mine, because I might be the only one to ever understand them. Neji; was all mine.

I _was _possessive, Ino or Sakura, or whichever said what was right. "Hn?"

"I _am _possessive." I thought for a moment. It wasn't my natural personality, this over-protective side. "At least; over you."

He put is hands softly on my shoulders. I noticed we had reached my house. My empty, hated house. His grip was firm as his eyes conveyed their message. _Me too._

His hand was placed gently under my chin as he tilted my face to meet his.

"Everybody knows we're together now." He stated, I couldn't resist my sarcastic response.

"Yeah, thanks to Lee." He chuckled lightly, his breath flowing in billows over my face.

"Do you want me to live here with you?" He asked. I smiled and kissed him fully.

"Yes." I stated very simply.

I guess we had always just been the sweet escape of the other. With me, he could be whoever he wanted to be and I didn't even have to try to be anybody else but me.

All the weapons I worked so hard to master because it would kill the time spent alone were not wasted on me. I was a kuniochi who had a reason to live and protect what I loved. And I loved Neji.

I loved how he wanted to tell people how he felt, wanted them to understand what he was saying and thinking, but I was the only one to take the time to get to know him. That's why he'd rather live with me than with his clan.

We both just wanted something simple. To be wanted. To be accepted. To be protected.

And to be loved.


End file.
